True Confessions: ABBA

[Andy]

We're in the car, heading West to Exminster to stay with family and we're listening to ABBA Gold - Millie's choice. I moan at first, but soon find myself humming along, and, by the time we get to 'Mamma Mia', I'm singing along too - the whole family - all four of us:

'Mamma Mia, Here I go again, My my, Did I ever you let you go?'

Despite myself, I'm having FUN... I turn to Hazel and say:

'You know what darling, they really did craft some perfect pop songs didn't they?'

At this point I check myself and think back to all the times I've berated my girly friends for putting on 'Dancing Queen' at parties instead of Nirvana, 'SOS' instead of 'Song 2', I think even further back to the 70's when I was a boy living in a pube-free zone in South West Herts...

I go into Nick's newsagents almost every day after school, rifling through the vinyl in the dark recesses of the shop, my brother Steve looking at comics and trying to sneak a peek at the wank mags on the top shelf.

I like the Vangelis cover (it was there for what seemed like years - I wonder why?), but it's ABBA's 'Greatest Hits' that really catches my eye. Of course I fancy the Blonde One, but the Other One is OK too in a girl-next-door kinda way. I save up and buy it on pre-recorded tape from WH Smith in Watford - it's bloody great. I love ABBA. I still remember the first time I saw them on the tele, winning the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo...

Even today, every day I go to work and the train pulls in to Waterloo, I sing that chorus in my head 'Waterloo, I was defeated I won the war' - it's that powerful and completely embedded in my subconscious - alongside the Bra & Pants section in the Littlewoods Catalogue.

I bought 'Arrival' too, again on pre-recorded tape, not as good, disappointing in fact - loved the glam helicopter cover - and the Blonde One still looked great of course - but, apart from 'I am the Tiger' I can't remember any other track.

So, fast forward again, through my Concept Album Only phase (thanks Dad, for bringing home 'Dark Side of the Moon' - still one of my all-time favourites), my 60's phase (still love The Beatles, Dylan and The Stones), my Heavy Metal Phase (still listen to Led Zep, but we all know, they're far too sophisticated to be labelled HM), through Grunge and Indie Rock (Lemonheads especially), Brit Pop, then a rediscovery of the beauty of Soul (Stax, Motown, Stevie), through all the good stuff around now - heard for free via iTunes at work courtesy of the youngsters - right back to ABBA in the car with my young family...

Who cares what you call it - music can make you laugh, cry or just dance your tits off in a most inappropriate manner in a late bar somewhere when you should really be home in bed with your lovely wife - but more about that another time...

[alex]

managed to fight this movie off with a large stick for quite a long time. Then one night woke up on the sofa and her indoors had sneaked it into the dvd player. watched it and found myself singing along, had to keep biting my tongue, for fear of giving the impression i was enjoying it, then where would i be. watching high school musical in a baseball jacket probably.

[Andy]

Hey Ronald - have managed to avoid Mamma Mia so far but I know I'll end up seeing at it the theatre at some point in the future. Hazel loves the movie - so it must be BAD!
Take care big boy - good to see Martin Jol doing well at Hamburg after being shoddily treated at Spurs...

[Andy]

Peter Callaghan - I would've had that TM album you tart - I bet you'd like 'University' or 'Limbo'. Will bring them down for Uncle Pip's 80th birthday party!!! He's deaf. He won't mind!

[Ronald Takes]

Oh my God Andy, did you also see the movie Mamma Mia?

Oke I admit, some of the tracks are oke. (Remixed)
But there are also Heavy Metal versions of ABBA songs, so that would be "the best of both worlds" (Great song by Robert Palmer by the way)

Greetings Ronald

http://www.geocities.com/rfmd2k/abba.html

[Pete]

Sadly I find myself nodding sagely in agreement. Just put it down to age - stained slippers and smelling permanently of wee is only just around the corner.

I appear to have completely sabotaged my kids' future credibility. I've given up taking them into Booster Records while I look thru the second-hand LPs - not because they get bored and start playing up, but because I'm fed up with them hoiking out old Abba and Michael Jackson LPs and demanding I buy them.

Why aren't they riffling thru the alternative and avent-garde section looking for the Cocteau Twins? No agonising over loss of 'cool' in 30 years time for them I fear.

My own confession: after 25 years owning from new and playing just twice, I junked my pristine copy of ''Throwing Muses: Throwing Muses'. Bought on the recommendation of NME in the very early 80s - I never made that mistake again.

Still got all my Abba tho.